What We Know About The Death Of Marathon Record Holder Kelvin Kiptum

Kelvin Kiptum was involved in a fatal road crash near his hometown in Kenya.

Kelvin Kiptum of Kenya celebrates his Chicago Marathon world record victory in Chicago’s Grant Park on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023. (Eileen T. Meslar / Chicago Tribune via AP)

The world of athletics and the nation of Kenya are mourning the loss of Kelvin Kiptum, the marathon world record holder, who died in a car crash on Sunday, February 11, 2024, at the age of 24.

Kiptum, who had set the world record of 2 hours and 35 seconds at the Chicago Marathon in October 2023, was driving with his coach, Rwanda’s Gervais Hakizimana, and a woman when their car veered off the road and hit a tree near the Rift Valley village of Kaptagat, Kiptum’s hometown.

Kiptum and Hakizimana died on the spot, while the woman was taken to a hospital with serious injuries.

The athlete’s death has shocked and saddened the athletics community and the public, who have paid tribute to his remarkable achievements and his humble personality.

Life as an athlete

Kiptum, who started his career as a 10,000-metre runner, switched to the marathon in 2022 and quickly rose to prominence as one of the fastest and most talented marathoners in history. He ran three marathons in his short career, winning all of them, and breaking the course records in Valencia, London, and Chicago.

He became the first athlete to run a marathon under 2:01 in a record-eligible race, breaking the previous record of 2:01:09 set by his compatriot and mentor, Eliud Kipchoge, in Berlin in 2022.

His death has also cast a shadow over the upcoming Paris Olympics, where he was expected to compete for the gold medal and to challenge Kipchoge’s dominance. Kiptum had confirmed his participation in the Rotterdam Marathon in April, where he had planned to improve his world record, before heading to Paris in August.

He had expressed his confidence and his ambition to win the Olympic title, saying: “I believe I can do it. I have the potential and the talent. I have the support and guidance of Eliud Kipchoge, who is my role model and my friend. I have the determination and the discipline to achieve my dream.”

Kiptum will be remembered as a world record holder, a champion, and a hero, who inspired and amazed many with his speed and his spirit. He will also be remembered as a victim and a martyr, who died too young and too soon, and who deserved a better fate.

Kenya’s unending road fatalities

Kiptum’s death has also raised questions and concerns about the safety and regulation of road transport in Kenya, where traffic accidents are common and often fatal. According to the World Health Organization, Kenya has one of the highest road traffic death rates in the world, with an estimated 12,463 deaths in 2022, or 26.4 per 100,000 population.

The main causes of the accidents are poor road conditions, speeding, drunk driving, and lack of enforcement of traffic laws.